Clarity: Very clear
Color: faint golden hue
Aroma: Sweetish and fruity. Banana, almonds, flowers
Body: Fluid, slightly siruppy
Taste: Sweetish and fruity attack with only a little junmai petillant.
Complex. Banana, custards, macadamia, melon, cherries, cherry blossoms.
Disappears quickly enough warming up back of the palate on a drier note.
Junmai petillant much later with appearance of coffee beans.
Turns sweeter and more flora with food with hints of melon and coffee beans.

Overall: A very elegant sake rarely found in such a small bottle.
Very pleasant and easy to drink.
Eminently enjoyable on its own slightly chilled.
Keep some for a late chilled night cap on the verandah by night!
A sake to be shared with special company!

The next sessions are scheduled on April 18th (featuring brews from Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery) and May 23rd (featuring brews from Hana no Mai Brewery). In both cases representatives of the Breweries will be in attendance!

I said the other day I had developped this special relation with Sogatsuru Hagi no Kura Brewery, but I have just finished the last bottle I had in stock! Will have to travel far to find the next one unless I can convince one of my liquor shop owners/friends to fetch me one!

Overall: “Shizuoka Type” sake. Very pleasant. Reveals new facets with food.
On its own tastes like a dessert drink at times. Drinks so well with food. wouldn’t take anyone much time to guzzle down!
Can also be enjoyed as “nurukan”, I would say at a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius. Slightly chilled in summer could be a good idea, too.

In 2004, Sogatsuru Brewery in Kakegawa City was in a real danger to disappear as they were officially “on vacation”. luckily, they had not relinquished their license when one of the brothers owning Haginishiki Brewery in Shizuoka City decided to go on his own and acquired the precious license. I said “precious” because it is practically impossible to get a new one from the Japanese Tax Bureau. As I had tasted a bottle of the old Sogatsuru Brewery, thinking it was the last one, I have developed a special fondness for that brewery now called Sogatsuru-Hagi no Kura.
Not only have they revived the Brewery, but they have recently made an extensive use of the appellation “Sagatsuru”, too.

Sogatsuru-Hagi No Kura Brewery-Ginjo

Rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in October 2007

Clarity: very clear

Colour: Light golden tinge

Aroma: Sharp and light at he same time. Fruity: Plum, grapes, kinkan oranges.

Body: Velvety

Taste: Welcome acidity due to alcohol.
Very feminine in character. Fruity, flowers, oranges

Overall: A sake fit for tasting sessions. Probably best appreciated as aperitif or on its own. Shizuoka type sake. Refined